A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the “scanning”-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
A lithographic system is arranged for performing an exposure process for exposing a substrate and for subsequently performing a processing process including baking and developing of the exposed substrate. Generally, the lithographic system comprises a lithographic apparatus for performing the exposure process and a track system or a track unit for performing the processing process. The formation of the substrate generally comprises applying a plurality of stacked layers on the substrate, wherein for each layer an exposure process and a processing process is applied. For the manufacturing of each layer the substrate is conveyed between the lithographic apparatus and the track system.
According to a conventional method for exposing and processing a batch of substrates, the lithographic system starts exposing a substrate immediately after the substrate is received at the exposing position.